Can You Hear Me Now
by RunFarAwayWithMe
Summary: Jane was sent to Brazil to follow up a case involving a serial-killer and rapist, and she solved it. But before the arrest was made she suffered torturous acts. Now Jane's back in Boston, but she's suffering from PTSD and her colleagues worry if she'll ever be the same again. Maura is the only one that can help her, but even that seems impossible at times. Rizzles fanfic.
1. Chapter 1

Maura sat at her desk clicking her pen repeatedly with no intention of ever writing anything. She just had a visit from Frankie Jr. who had informed her of Jane's return. He had used the word 'return' in a very loose sense, because although his older sister's body was back in Boston, her mind was stuck in Brazil. Angela, Frankie, Frankie Jr., Tommy, Frost, and Korsak had all been to visit her at some point but Jane didn't even acknowledge they were in the room. Her one hope left was that of her best friend: Maura Isles.

Considering how much she knew about post-traumatic stress disorder, Maura surprised herself that she was so resistant to visit Jane. Maybe it was the personal attachment to the situation that was binding her to the $300 office chair she currently sat in. Realising that clicking her pen was getting her nowhere she decided to set her mind to a task to stimulate her brain, which would allow her subconscious mind to work on the issue of Jane. Maura walked into the morgue and stood next to a body brought in that morning. The tag read 'Jane Doe', and even seeing the name Jane on paper made her feel a pang of guilt. Pushing the thought to the back of her head, she began to assess the body. She was a young, white female, mid 20's, cause of death; asphyxiation, and defensive wounds to the hands and arms suggest she was attacked from the front. Maybe she couldn't help Jane Rizzoli right now, but she could do her best to help this young girl on her table.

She finished the autopsy, and not wanting to be without a task for too long she decided to take the results directly up to Korsak. If she stood still for too long her mind would wander to Jane, so she walked up the stairs to the homicide department. As she walked through the door her breath hitched at the sight of Jane's desk, and she could have stared at it for hours if it wasn't for Frost. "What you got there Maura?" he asked, bringing her back down to reality. She walked over in her heels and placed the report on his desk. "Full autopsy of the Jane Doe from this morning. The lab is tracing her dental records now so hopefully we'll have a family to contact soon." Frost nodded in thanks and Maura was ready to turn around and leave before anyone brought up the conversation of Jane, but she was too late.

Korsak walked in with a cup of coffee and stopped in his tracks when he saw the pathologist before him. "Hello Sergeant Korsak," Maura said with the hope of leaving before engaging in further conversation. "Maura…" the detective replied, determined not to let her leave before discussing Jane. Maura began to protest and state how much work she had to get on with, but Korsak blocked the door. "You have to go and see her. She's bad Maura… really bad. We've all tried; even her pops came back to Boston just to see her. But she needs you." Again, the only response was a ramble about work and things to do, but Korsak cut her off, "I've spoken to Cavanaugh. Even he agreed to give you the day off. Go and see Jane – help her."

Maura sighed and walked out the door, admitting her defeat. She walked back down to the morgue to quickly tidy up after her work, grabbed her purse from the office then retreated back up the staircase. As she walked out the front doors of the building to her car, she felt her breathing become heavy with nerves. She drove the whole journey in a trance, thinking of what to say, what to do. Before she knew it her heels were climbing the steps to Jane's apartment and she found herself faced with the front door that separated herself and her best friend. Maura reached into her pocket and drew out the door key Frankie Jr. had given to her earlier, explaining that Jane couldn't even get up to open the door. She drew in a shaky breath and silently slid the key into the lock. The key twisted, and she pushed the door open.

Her heels clipped against the floor as she took several steps into the apartment. "Jane?" she called out. There was no sign of life in the living room or the kitchen, unless you counted Jo-Friday scrounging about for food. "Jane?" Maura repeated as she walked along making a beeline for the bedroom. The door silently swung open and her eyes scanned the room. Lying still on the bed, surrounded by her duvet was Jane Rizzoli. Her eyes were open but her body and mind looked fast asleep. If Maura hadn't spent so many years as a pathologist, her first instinct would have been to assume Jane was dead. Forgetting all reservations she had about the situation, Maura walked over to the bed and sat down on the mattress next to the corpse-like figure.

"Oh Jane…" was all she could say. She reached up and gently held Jane's face in one hand hoping to spark some response, but there was nothing. Suddenly she heard a voice come from behind her. "She doesn't move," Maura spun round to see Angela standing in the doorway. "She only eats once a day, and even that has to be smooth food she doesn't have to chew." Maura stood up and walked towards Mrs Rizzoli, and when she saw tears form in her eyes she pulled her into a hug. "I don't know what they did to her out there," Angela cried into her shoulder, "But whatever it was took my little girl and didn't give her back." Jane's mom pulled back from the hug and said, "I can't do this anymore. Every day I come in here and I brush her hair, I change her clothes if I can, I try and feed her, but it's too much. It's tiring and it breaks my heart every time. I can't do it anymore."

"I'll do it," Maura replied without thinking. "I'll look after her. I'll come here every day after work: I'll feed her, brush her hair, dress her – I'll help her get better." The relief that spread across Angela's face was enough to reassure her that it was the right thing to do. "Well… if you're sure?" Angela replied, "I've just got to get away for a while. My cousin's letting me come stay with her for a while, so I'll be out of your guest house. Thank you Maura, really thank you." She pulled her in for another hug, walked across the room and placed a kiss on her daughter's forehead, and left.

Maura walked back over to the bed and said, "Did you hear that Jane? I'm going to look after you." Jane's eyes remained motionless, and Maura sighed. Despite the size of the task ahead of her, she was glad that Korsak forced her to come and see her best friend. After fixing the sheets in an attempt to make Jane more comfortable, Maura walked out into the kitchen where she found Jo-Friday whimpering at a cupboard. She cleaned up the mess around the dog's food bowl then searched the cupboards for some dog food. Three cupboards down, she found it and poured a disgusting looking mush into the bowl on the floor. Apparently Jo-Friday didn't find it disgusting as she ate it up as if she hadn't eaten in days. Maura figured Angela probably forgot about feeding the dog after being so occupied with Jane.

Once Jo-Friday was satisfied, Maura walked in the living room and tidied up. The only mess was the one produced before Jane had left for Brazil; when she returned she had left her suitcase by the sofa and gone straight to bed, where she remained to that day except to use the bathroom. A serial-rapist and killer case had taken her over there: most of the team had advised her not to go and to leave it up to international affairs, but Jane being Jane she wanted to follow it through. No one knew much of what happened: only that they caught the bastard, but not before he captured Jane and tortured her.

It gave her chills just thinking about it, so Maura decided to go back into the bedroom and talk to Jane. She was still conscious, so some part of her would be listening even if she couldn't show it. Unsure of how to begin Maura sat on the bed and did what she did best, relay facts. "I tidied up for you. There was a study published in the Medical Journal in 2010 that a cleaner house can improve mental health, which in turn can help your physical health. But I know you don't care about that…" Maura trailed off, aware that if this was a normal day Jane would be making some sarcastic comment about how pointless that fact was. Instead she began talking about the case from earlier that day, knowing that's the sort of thing she would find more interesting. Halfway through her account, Maura's lips formed a sad smile as for the first time in her life she was actually hoping, begging for Jane to make a comment – sarcastic or insulting, she didn't care. She just wanted her to even move her lips, but Jane just lay there as still as a corpse.


	2. Chapter 2

_A.N: Hey everyone, thanks so much for the amazing response I got for Chapter 1 of this story. I've got a lot planned for Jane and Maura, so stay tuned! Please review - your feedback makes the story better._

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As long as she was at work, Maura made sure to focus on what she was doing. She was giving a voice to those who no longer had one, and that sort of job required no distractions. She had hoped to finish her work early and go and see Jane as soon as possible, but a development in the Jane Doe case from the previous day held her at work for an extra hour. Suspicious blue fibres in her throat demanded further analysis, and any other pathologist would have left the job for another day, but Maura felt a duty to the young girl and worked hard to get to the bottom of it. When there was no more left for her to do she picked up her coat, switched off the lights, and walked up the stairs.

On her way out, she bumped into Sergeant Vince Korsak and looked at him gratefully. "Thank you, for making me go and see her," she said. He nodded understandingly. It broke his heart knowing the state Jane was in, but he was thankful for Maura. "I'm looking after her," she continued, "It's too much for Angela, seeing her daughter like that. I'm on my way over there now actually, so I'll see you tomorrow." They said goodbye, and Maura walked out the front of the BPD building to her car exactly has she had done yesterday. The difference this time was that she had been looking forward to the visit all day, rather than dreading it.

As she opened the door she looked around the apartment hopefully, but it was untouched. Remembering Jo-Friday, she quickly filled up two bowls with food and water and made a mental note to take her for a walk later on. With a sigh she entered Jane's bedroom, and it was strange to see her friend so uncharacteristically worn down. "Hi Jane," she said as she sat down on the bed. "Come on," she said, "Let's get you up." Maura figured even if she moved Jane from the bed to the sofa it would be an improvement, as the lack of mobility was probably doing hell to her limbs. She took off her pink heels and placed them side by side on the floor before pulling the duvet off the bed. A sigh escaped her mouth when Jane didn't respond to that, so she knelt on the bed and lifted her up into a sitting position.

Maura grabbed a hairbrush from the bed-side table, still using one hand to prop Jane up like a doll. She climbed behind Jane, hitched her own dress up slightly so she could place her legs either side of Jane, and then proceeded to brush the long, dark brown hair before her. Her body was acting like a chair to be leant against, and she felt somewhat useful acting as a prop. It took half an hour to work through the matted brown locks, but eventually she managed to tame it into a neater wave of hair.

As she moved to sit next to Jane and returned the brush to its table, Maura noticed the clock showing 7:00pm. She still planned to make some sort of dinner for Jane as well as walk Jo-Friday, and then come back tomorrow morning to dress Jane and help her out of bed. Realising how late she would get home, and then how little sleep she'd get before having to get up early to return to the apartment, Maura came to the conclusion that it made more sense for her to stay the night with Jane. She manoeuvred Jane's legs around to hang off the edge of the bed, and then placed Jane's left arm around her shoulders before looping her own arm around the brunette's toned waist.

Maura stood up, using all of her energy to hold Jane upright. "Come on Jane, just walk with me," Maura urged, and to her surprise Jane began to take baby steps. She was still resting her whole weight on Maura, but it was incredible that she was moving her own legs. "That's it, keep going," Maura encouraged her as they crossed the threshold to the kitchen. Feeling a thin layer of sweat forming on her forehead, five minutes later Maura reached the sofa with Jane and sat her down. She wiped her brow and felt a huge sense of achievement wash over her. This was an even prouder moment than when she aced her finals in college. Jane's head turned slowly as she examined her apartment, but her eyes were still empty.

Leaving Jane to get used to the different surroundings, Maura walked into the kitchen to find some sort of nourishment. The only solid food was out of date, and there was only one can of soft food left. As Maura heated up the can of rice pudding she began to plan a trip to the supermarket tomorrow. It didn't take long for the food to warm up, and she placed it in a bowl and took out a spoon from the drawer. Feeling herself tire, she sat down on the sofa next to Jane. Rice pudding gathered on the spoon and Maura raised it to Jane's mouth. Her lips were already slightly parted, so Maura slid the spoon in her mouth with ease. Jane closed her lips around the spoon as Maura pulled it away, and then swallowed. It was a slow process, but everything was with Jane at the moment. Feeling a slight victory, Maura spoke as she continued to feed Jane, "I knew you weren't completely gone. They said that you were completely absent, but look at you. You're walking… kind of, and eating a bit. You're going to get better Jane."

It took so long to feed Jane that towards the end she was eating stone cold food, but at least she was eating, Maura thought. As she washed up the bowl Maura noticed Jo-Friday getting particularly restless, so when she was satisfied that Jane was safe on the sofa she put on her shoes, picked up the leash and left with Jo-Friday. The fresh air was a welcome release and she began to consider getting a dog herself as she found walking around the block a calming activity. Her mind cast back to Jane and Maura began to wonder how she would juggle work and frequent visits to the Rizzoli apartment. Then, an idea struck her: Angela had gone to stay with her cousin, so the guest house was free.

With Jane staying in her guest house Maura would be able to look after her all the time without having to leave any earlier before work or return home any later. She could take some clothes from Jane's apartment and pack a small suitcase for her, that way she would at least be in her own clothes. As Maura walked through the front door with Jo-Friday half an hour later she figured she would still stay with Jane at her apartment that night, just to make life easier. She sat down next to Jane and clasped their hands together. "Jane?" she said, looking intently into her brown eyes, "I want to look after you, I want to help you. But it would help me if you were staying at my guest house. Is that okay?"

There was no response; Jane didn't even make eye contact. Determined to get through to her, Maura squeezed her hands and repeated, "Jane?" The chocolate brown eyes looked up and locked onto Maura's blue ones. "Is that okay?" Maura asked, and Jane nodded ever so slightly. Maura sighed with relief and smiled at the tiny action, then looped her arm back around Jane's waist and helped her to her feet. It took twice as long as the first time, but eventually they reached the bed and Maura sat Jane down in it. She moved her legs on the bed so Jane was lying down on her side, and she hoped to have some interaction or movement like a nod or even eye contact again. But Jane merely closed her eyes and went to sleep.

Maura adjusted the duvet over Jane's slender body and planted a gentle kiss to her temple, then switched off the light as she left the room. Exhausted from such a small task, she poured herself a glass of water and was about to sit down when there was a knock on the door. Considering it was just gone 10pm, Maura figured the only person visiting at this hour must be Frankie Jr. after his shift. She opened the door and invited him in, and they sat on the sofa as she explained about her guest house. "That's a good idea," Frankie said, "If you want, tomorrow I can come over when you finish work and help you move her? If it speeds things up I'll carry her to the car and stuff." Maura nodded gratefully; glad that she wouldn't have to support Jane's weight down several flights of stairs.

Once Frankie had left, Maura crept into Jane's room and silently pulled out a pair of pyjamas from her wardrobe. She changed into them, and then collapsed onto the sofa and pulled a blanket over her body. Within minutes she was asleep, tired from the events of the night. Before she completely dozed off, it hit Maura just how much work she had ahead of her. It was only the first night, and she felt like she had spent hours at the gym. But the result of this workout was better than any toned stomach or muscly arms: she was getting the woman she loved back. Slowly but surely she was bringing Jane back: and every tiny step Jane took; every nod; every maintenance of eye contact, it all meant so much. With that thought in her mind, Maura fell into a deep sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

Maura headed to the Rizzoli apartment for the second time that day. The first time was before work, where she tried and failed to get Jane into some clean clothes. Now she was driving there with Frankie Jr. and had the intention of moving Jane into her guest house, making it easier on the both of them. They reached the front door, and as they entered Frankie said, "Why didn't you come earlier? She needed you. Why didn't you come?" Maura froze when she heard the desperation in his voice, but she didn't want to explain how she let her friend down. "I was busy," she muttered and wandered into Jane's room.

"Don't give me that crap," Frankie said as he followed the red heels into the bedroom. "You're her best friend. You could have made time for her but you didn't, and all I want to know is why?" Maura sighed and pulled out a small suitcase from Jane's wardrobe. As she folded a few t-shirts and trousers to pack she explained, "It's my fault that she went. I examined the bodies of the young girls that man raped and killed, and I pushed her to go to Brazil and catch him. I told her that no matter how hard things got, I knew she was strong enough to push through it and catch the bastard." Her voice broke and tears began spilling down her cheeks. "I couldn't come and see her because I pushed her to this. She went there, and pushed herself too far and she ended up like this because of me."

Frankie pulled her into a hug and soothed her, "It wasn't your fault at all. Jane would have gone even if an army of people had told her not to. She pushed herself to go; you were just being her friend. You can't blame yourself. Okay?" Timidly Maura nodded her head, wiped her face, and continued packing. Frankie picked up Jo-Friday and the food bowls and carried them to Maura's car, and then returned for Jane. He walked over to the bed and leant over his older sister. He scooped his arms under her body, but before he could lift her up Jane began kicking and scratching at his face. "Jane! It's me! Jane calm down!" he shouted, trying to pick up her squirming body. Eventually he laid her back on the bed and stepped away, not wanting to distress her any more.

Jane stilled, but she still looked pained. Maura rushed to her side, and after checking that Frankie was okay apart from several scratch marks to the face, she focused on Jane and soothingly stroked her hair. A few minutes later once Jane was more relaxed, Frankie stepped closer in the hope of picking her up. Maura continued to stroke her hair as Frankie leaned towards her with his arms outstretched, but Jane resisted and lashed out again. "Go in the other room," Maura directed as she calmed the woman she was now clutching in her arms. Frankie looked close to tears and said, "But… It's me Jane. It's Frankie." When he realised that nothing he said could help, he picked up the suitcase by the bed and muttered something about taking it to the car.

All that was left to do now was to get Jane into the car, but the original plan of Frankie carrying her was now out the window. Maura sighed and climbed out of her heels, realising what she had to do. She had a tough job ahead of her as she remembered how long and tiring it was to get Jane to the sofa, but now she had to walk her down three flights of stairs. "Come on Jane," she said, lightly pulling her up into an upright position. Maura looped her arm around Jane's waist and hooked the other woman's arm over her shoulders. Slowly they stood up, and even slower they began to walk. Every now and then Jane's feet would drag for a couple of steps, leaving Maura to pull her whole weight along with her.

It took five minutes to walk across out the apartment and across the hallway, and Maura could already feel herself beginning to tire as they stood at the top of the stairs. She took in a deep breath and gathered her strength, knowing that now was not the time to feel weak. "Come on Jane," she urged, "You can't drag your feet here. You need to walk down the stairs." It was as if Jane was learning to think again; they stood at the top of the stairs for a few minutes as she tried to comprehend the idea of walking down the steps before her. Eventually she lifted her right foot, still leaning against Maura, and placed one foot down the stairs. "That's it," Maura encouraged, and at the bottom of the first flight of stairs Jane turned her head and the corners of her mouths turned up into a small smile. It vanished almost as quickly as it appeared, and Jane turned back to look at the next flight of stairs with a weakening look on her face.

Half an hour later they were out the door leading to the street, and both Maura and Jane were exhausted. Frankie opened the car door and quickly got out of the way, not wanting to hurt his sister any further. The cold pavement felt good on Maura's bare feet as she guided Jane into the seat and buckled her seat belt. She shut the door, and rested against the car for a moment. "You okay?" Frankie asked, and Maura nodded as she attempted to regulate her breathing. "I'm… Are you…? You okay?" she said through panted breaths. Frankie nodded, then said goodbye before heading back upstairs to lock up the apartment.

Maura climbed into the car and drove away from the street she was so familiar with. She rolled down both windows, welcoming in the cool air after her workout. She looked over at Jane, and despite the blank expression on her face Maura could tell that she liked the cool breeze as well. Maybe it was intuition, or maybe it was because they had spent so much time together, or perhaps it was down to her knowledge in body language; whatever the reason, Maura was able to tell when Jane was happy or sad even when her eyes looked as empty as they did now. They pulled up outside Maura's house, and she unbuckled both of their seatbelts before walking Jane through to the guest house. She didn't know if they were walking faster because it was getting easier for her to carry Jane, or if Jane was slowly getting stronger, but she hoped it was the latter.

After running back to the car to get Jo-Friday, she returned to the sofa where she had left Jane, but the seat was empty. Maura panicked, but she didn't have to look far before she saw Jane lying on the floor next to the couch. "You tried to walk on your own," she murmured as she knelt down to her friend's aid. Just as she was about to help her to her feet again, she noticed the damp patch between Jane's legs. "You were trying to get to the bathroom?" she said, reaching out an arm to help her up. She pulled her to her feet and guided her into the bathroom as she said, "I'm going to get you out of these clothes you've been in for days, and then you're going to get in the shower and I'm going to wash you, and then I'll get you some fresh, clean clothes for you to wear."

Jane was just like an empty shell, Maura thought as she undressed her like a rag doll. She didn't have any shyness about seeing the naked human body, and she knew it was necessary to wash and clothe Jane because no one else would do it for her. Once out of the wet clothes, Maura guided Jane to sit in the bath as she turned on the detachable shower head. She pulled it away from the wall and ran the water all over Jane's body. Scattered across her body were multiple scars, still very new and pink. Many bruises had faded, but Maura could still see traces of the severe ones lingering on her skin. As she moved the shower head over Jane's legs, she noticed several more bruises and felt a lump form in her throat. The worst bruises sat at the top of Jane's inner thigh – a wound that Maura knew so well she had even taken to assuming the cause of it when she worked on a case involving it. Every time she saw these bruises, she assumed rape. And every time, she was right.

Trying to push the heart-wrenching thought out of her mind, she stopped staring and continued to wash the rest of Jane's slender figure. She ran the soap over Jane's body: her hands gently brushed against the raised skin of the scars and she bit the inside of her cheek. She was determined not to cry, and she reminded herself of the conversation she had with Frankie earlier. It wasn't her fault that Jane was like this: scarred inside and out. She kept telling herself that as she lifted Jane out the bath; dried off her body, and pulled her into some fresh clothes. Desperately needing to do something else to take her mind off the bruises she had seen, Maura walked Jane to the sofa and retreated to the kitchen.


	4. Chapter 4

With a yawn Maura pulled a fresh shirt over Jane's head. They had been living in this arrangement for a week, and now everything was just a matter of routine. Maura would wake up an hour earlier than normal; dress Jane and make her eat a soft breakfast; walk Jane the long way to the sofa to get her used to walking again; dress herself; feed Jo-Friday and then go to work. Over the days Jane had made ever so slight progress as she leant on Maura less as they walked, and didn't take too much encouragement to eat. But not only was everything physically taxing for both of them, it was testing their mental strength as well. Jane was trying to bring her mind back into the present, but every time she would try and focus on something like walking or eating her memories would viscously haunt her and urge her to go back to bed to forget everything. If it wasn't for Maura constantly encouraging her and interacting with her, Jane would have nothing to focus on in the present and just remain in bed reliving the past.

Instead of walking straight down to the morgue Maura headed to the café in desperate need of a coffee. It was strange not to see the beaming face of Angela behind the counter, but before she could ponder on that thought she noticed Frost pouring out a coffee. She joined him and silently prayed in her head that she wouldn't have to discuss Jane. "Are you okay?" he asked as she filled up a cup, and it took her by surprise. Normally people said, "How's Jane?" or, "Give Jane my best." Everyone was so concerned about Jane, and they had reason to be, but Frost was the first person to ask Maura how she was doing. "I'm okay thanks," she replied, not wanting to appear selfish or in any way imply that she was struggling. Sensing something was up and noticing the strength of the coffee Maura had just poured herself Frost continued, "How are you sleeping? Are you sleeping?" Maura remained silent and Frost had his answer. "You know if you wanted to take some time off, Cavanaugh would let you. Call it compassionate leave or something."

"Jane isn't dead, Frost. I don't need compassionate leave. I'm fine," she replied curtly, and then walked off to the morgue to bury herself in her work. She flung open the door to her office, put down her bag, and burst into tears. She sat down on the couch and put her head in her hands, feeling her body shake as she sobbed. A few minutes later Vince Korsak silently walked in unnoticed. He coughed awkwardly and Maura's head shot up, and she began to wipe the tears from her face whilst explaining, "There's an um… a tough case… It just got to me a bit." Korsak knew full well that Maura wasn't the sort of person to cry this much because of a case. She may dress like a princess but she was stronger than any knight in shining armour. He sat down next to her and placed his hand on her back. "You are allowed to break down," he said, "You can't expect to look after Jane in the state that she is in and still be strong all the time."

Accepting what he was saying, Maura allowed herself to continue crying as she was pulled into a big, warm hug. Eventually she calmed down and felt an awful lot better after letting it all out. She thanked Korsak as he left to finish up some paperwork and then started on work herself. She worked all through lunch, finding the constant flow of work therapeutic and calming. Instead of working late, she finished dead on 5pm and hurried home to Jane. Maura opened the front door and walked into the guest house. She began to panic when she heard another voice in the house and hurried to find Jane. She reached the living room and breathed out, "Oh my god." The voice she heard was resonating from the TV, which she didn't put on that morning. That only left one other explanation – Jane had put it on.

She smiled ridiculously as she realised how much Jane had moved: she had reached forward to pick the remote up from the coffee table and pressed the power button all on her own. This was a big deal. No, this was a huge deal. Jane was showing signs of strong hand function and the ability to focus on a task, which was an improvement. Maura walked over and sat down next to her on the sofa and watched Jane stare at the screen. She didn't know if she was actually watching it, but the simple matter that the TV was even on was extraordinary. "I'm proud of you Jane," she said, and then stood up and picked up the phone. Once she had ordered Chinese takeout for herself she began to warm up some soup for Jane. As the liquid slowly heated up, Maura thought of something to try. It was a long shot, but after the progress Jane showed today it was worth a go.

She wandered over to the sofa and stood in front of Jane, picking up her hands. Slowly she pulled her to her feet, and instead of hooking her arm around Jane's waist like usual, she merely rested Jane's forearms on her own so she acted like a zimmer-frame. "It's just like before, just move one foot and then the other," Maura encouraged, trying to get Jane walking slightly more independently. The concentration on Jane's face was profound as she clenched her jaw and breathed heavily through her nose. After about half a minute of standing still, she slid one foot a couple of inches along the floor. "That's it!" Maura exclaimed. Gradually Jane moved her other foot, and then took about three small steps per minute. It took ten minutes to travel less than ten feet to the kitchen counter, but they made it. The doorbell rang, and Maura gently eased Jane's arms onto the counter top so she had something to lean on as she stood up. Standing up wasn't as much effort as walking, and so Jane was grateful for the rest but proud of far she'd travelled.

Maura switched off the stove heating up the soup then went to open the door, and saw the man from the Chinese restaurant she ordered takeaway from holding her food. With her hands full as she rummaged through her purse she said, "Can you take it into the kitchen for me?" The man complied, but as he put the food on the counter he jumped back at the sight before him. Jane was leaning against the counter just as Maura left her, but only now she had a knife in her hands. Realising what was happening Maura flew across the room, shoved a $20 note in the man's hands and said, "Go! Just go! I'm sorry!" as she pushed him out the apartment. She ran back to Jane and noticed that she hadn't quite managed to grip the knife completely on the handle, and part of the large blade was cutting into her hand. "You can let go, he's gone," Maura said in a soft voice, gently trying to pull the knife from Jane's grasp. She threw the knife into the sink and focused her attention on Jane's hands, which were now bleeding profusely. It took a while to stop the bleeding, but eventually Maura managed to wrap a bandage around the wound.

It was late into the night by the time Jane was dressed in her pyjamas and in bed. Still in her green dress from that day, Maura sat on the mattress next to her friend and spoke out loud the thought she'd been holding in all night. "It's men, isn't it? You're not comfortable with men ever since… ever since Brazil." She had made the connections – Jane had resisted treatment from male doctors before she was allowed home, she had fought off Frankie Jr. when he tried to pick her up, and she had grabbed a knife when the delivery man entered the house. For the first time in days, Jane made eye contact with Maura and moved her head ever so slightly in a nodding motion. Maura smiled sadly and said, "That's okay to feel like that," before placing a goodnight kiss on the top of Jane's head. Just as she was about to stand up, she felt Jane's hand clamp around her arm and saw fear plague her eyes.

Knowing Jane so well, she knew what was wrong and said, "Okay, I won't leave." Maura swung her legs on top of the bed and lay down next to Jane. She wanted nothing more than to wrap an arm across Jane's body and feel her warmth radiate between their bodies, but she didn't want to make Jane feel trapped and so resisted. Instead, they lay there side by side with their arms touching, and although she still clasped onto Maura's arm, Jane loosened her grip as they both fell into a blissful sleep.


	5. Chapter 5

**A.N: Sorry I haven't updated in a long time! Hopefully I'll be getting back into this story now so I won't leave as long in the future. Thanks for waiting! **

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Maura paced confidently around the supermarket scanning the shelves for something new for Jane. She had finally been able to move on from soup and yoghurts which must have been a relief, seeing as it was all she had eaten for several weeks. Maura hadn't been able to get her to eat anything else, until two days ago when she had picked up a packet of pasta from the cupboard and placed it on the counter. Three weeks of solid hard work had Jane able to regain full function of her hands, the ability to walk by herself (albeit very slowly), but she had still not said one single word. Occasionally she would wake in the night kicking and thrashing, but Maura was always there to sooth her back to sleep. She had at hand many herbal candles and remedies that were used in some parts of Peru to help distressed soldiers sleep. No matter what Jane would say about them, if she could, Maura was convinced they genuinely worked.

"Maura!" a voice called out and detracted her attention from the line of dragon fruits she was staring at. She turned around to see Frost walking towards her, pushing a shopping cart too large for the three items it was holding. It's always strange, she thought, to see people out of the environments you're so used to them being in. He almost looked like a completely different man wearing jeans and an Incredible Hulk t-shirt instead of his usual suit. Kind of like Jane; how she was barely recognisable without her sarcastic exterior and quick wit. "How are you both?" his voice pulled her out of a trance for a second time.

"Fine, thank you. Jane's actually been improving. She's eating better, walking better, and I'm trying to find some way for her to communicate."

"She's still not talking?"

"No. But she'll get there, I know she will." They shared an awkward silence before politely departing from one another's company. Maura had taken the past two weeks away from work after persuasion and reassurance from Cavanaugh and Korsak that it would be okay, which left her and Frost nothing to talk about. She didn't know any of the cases he was working on, and she wasn't doing any autopsies he needed any information from. With the factor of work stripped away they were left with the reality that the only other thing they had in common was Jane. She was like that – excelling at bringing and holding people together in new friendships, new relationships. That was the irony of the situation: she was so fantastic at holding other people together, but in herself she was still like an incomplete puzzle unable to put all the pieces together again.

The clip of her heels on the floor as she walked through the different aisles were the only thing reminding Maura that this was in fact real, and not some twisted dream. Determined to keep her mind on track and in the present she looked down at her shopping list and brought her thoughts back into their usual focused, strategic combination. Things were hard enough with Jane's mind still being trapped somewhere else; it wouldn't do either of them any favours to have Maura unfocused as well. The final item on her list was champagne – something that always put her in a good mood, and not the inebriated kind. The taste on her tongue felt so sweet and light; it always had the ability to remind Maura of the nicer little things in life.

As she reached the till she loaded all of her shopping onto the conveyor belt and watched as the incredibly bored-looking teenager scanned her items. He reached the champagne and swiped it through without a second glance before placing it in the recyclable bag Maura had brought with her. She pulled out her credit card and decided to strike up conversation in hopes of providing some momentary relief in the teenager's dreary, monotonous job. "You know, champagne was invented by a monk named Dom Pérignon." He looked up and stared for a few seconds before saying flatly, "Fascinating." Unable to pick up on his obvious lack of enthusiasm Maura continued, "When he finally mastered the recipe, he called out to his fellow monks and said, 'Come quickly: I am tasting the stars.' Don't you think that's such a beautiful metaphor?"

The cashier nodded nonchalantly as he printed off the receipt and stuffed it in the shopping bag, wordlessly sending Maura on her way. She walked out of the store distracted by her thoughts of Jane's dinner that needed cooking, and Jane's clothes that needed washing, and Jane's bed that needed making. She loaded the shopping into her car, started the engine, and by the time she reached home she had the entire evening planned out. First she would load the laundry into the washing machine, and then put the water on the heat to boil whilst she made the bed. Once they had finished dinner she would wash the dishes as Jane showered, and then sit and talk with her for a while before bed in the hopes of provoking some conversation. It was routine; like a well-choreographed dance that they had been performing every night for the past few weeks.

Before she knew it dinner was out of the way and she was sitting on the sofa watching Jane's empty eyes stare back at her. "The first blood transfusion was actually between dogs. But the reason why people are given O Neg. blood when there is no time to find out their blood type is because O Neg. doesn't contain any antigens." Maura was about to launch into an explanation of rhesus and a further history of blood transfusions when suddenly, Jane's lips parted. It looked as though she was about to say something and Maura felt her own heart rate increase. After all this time Jane was finally going to speak. Maybe there was something about blood transfusions that had triggered her memory, or maybe she was just going to tell Maura to shut up (after all she had been speaking about them for twenty minutes now).

A small breath escaped Jane's mouth whilst Maura held hers, anxious to hear what words the brunette was about to utter. She sat there for several minutes before finally giving up. Who was she even kidding? It was far too early to expect Jane to talk – the progress she had made so far was a miracle, and she should be grateful for that. Yet Maura couldn't shake the feeling of disappointment that had made her stomach sink when she accepted that Jane was merely opening her mouth to breathe. "Maybe next time," she sighed, standing up and walking over to the kitchen.

With one hand rubbing across her forehead she pulled out a glass from the cabinet and filled it up at the sink. With her back still turned to the sofa she took a few sips and waited for her headache to quell before taking three steady breaths. Satisfied that she could go on for the rest of the night, she tipped the rest of the water into the sink and placed the glass on the drainer. She had no idea how she had managed it so silently, but as she turned around Jane was waiting by the kitchen counter, staring intently at Maura.

"Do you… want some water?" she asked curiously. Jane didn't even nod. She looked upset; not in a distressed way but with more of a sense of longing. She took a few steps forwards and for once Maura was lost for words. Jane had been capable of walking on her own for a while now, but she had never looked at Maura like this. There was just something about the look in her eyes that was so sad and yet so fulfilling, like a devastating storm that you couldn't help but admire the beauty of. Her feet silently padded across the floor until she was directly opposite Maura and a minute or so passed before she finally moved again.

Wordlessly she reached across the empty space between them and moved a stray blonde curl behind Maura's ear. Her nimble fingers lingered for a few moments before drawing back again as if she had been burned, but she never broke eye contact. Maura could feel her heart palpitating in her chest with every second that passed and her feet were rooted to the spot. She didn't want to move in case it frightened Jane or broke this electric connection that had suddenly formed between them.

Slowly but smoothly Jane's head moved forwards until Maura's senses were flooded with nothing else, and then her lips ghosted over Maura's cheek, leaving a burning imprint. She pulled away just as slowly and looked into Maura's eyes for a few seconds before turning and heading into the bedroom. The world had frozen in place and nothing could move Maura from those few seconds. Eventually she raised her hand to her cheek as if to check for some physical proof that she wasn't imagining everything – Jane's lips had barely skimmed her skin and yet they had left a fire in its place, clinging onto every cell for the rest of the night.


	6. Chapter 6

**A.N: This is the first chapter in which I've explored how Jane is thinking. I wanted to wait until now to show that her mind is still catching up, so I hope that I've done it justice. Thank you all for reading, you really are amazing!**

_He was on top of her, over powering her, and yet she couldn't make a sound. His face had become a dark shadow that she could no longer recognise, but that only increased the fear that shot through her body. _

Maura was sleeping on her mattress on the floor that she had moved into Jane's room when she heard a familiar movement to her right. Jane was kicking out and getting herself tangled in the sheets, panting heavily with beads of sweat beginning to form on her forehead. It happened once or twice a week, which was a drastic improvement from the nightly occurrences that previously kept them both up late. A lot of things had become routine for Maura, but she was still struggling to get used to the night terrors. Seeing Jane hurting in a way that was so uncharacteristic for her managed to break Maura's heart a little bit more each time, but it never stopped her from helping.

She stood up and moved closer to the bed, but experience had taught her to keep her distance as long as Jane was thrashing. "Shh… It's okay Jane, you're okay. It's me – it's Maura," she repeated the soothing words until the thrashing stopped, and then climbed onto the bed and started to stroke Jane's hair. She was still in the nightmare; her face was contorted with pain and her head would occasionally jerk to the side, but Maura continued, "It's okay sweetie, you're safe." It took five minutes before Jane opened her eyes, looking disorientated and scared. "Hey," Maura said with a smile, "You're okay. You're safe – you're in my guest house in Boston."

Eventually Jane managed a small nod, and then relaxed back into the pillows. In order to get her back to sleep again, Maura began talking about some old cases. She always made sure they were safe – usually robberies gone wrong or wives putting poison in their cheating husband's tea; never rape or torture cases. She still wasn't sure whether talking about these cases helped Jane sleep because the familiarity was calming for her or if she was literally bored into a sleep, but either way it worked. Once she had outlined a case that she was particularly proud of; one where a reddish brown stain actually wasn't blood, Maura climbed off the bed and snuggled back under her duvet on the floor mattress.

At six AM her routine alarm went off from under her pillow – a single yet prominent beep that was loud enough to wake Maura, but muffled in order to let Jane keep sleeping. She stood up, tied her hair up into a ponytail, and then walked out into the living room. She was spending most of her time in the guest house now, but every morning she went into the main house to get some clothes from her wardrobe and get dressed, and then collect her mail. She walked up to her bedroom and glanced at the frame of her bed. It was the only thing that was different about her house as she had taken the mattress, duvet and pillows downstairs to sleep next to Jane. More than anything, she never wanted to lose the familiarity of her home. That feeling when you walk through the door and you can't smell the air freshener anymore because you're so used to it; or the walk from the bathroom to the kitchen can be done blindfolded because you know it so well. It was for that reason that Maura ventured back there every morning.

When she got back in the guest house fully dressed in black jeans and a white vest top, she poured out a bowl of food and water for Jo Friday and gave her a scratch behind the ears. She flicked on the TV and once Jo Friday was finished eating, Maura began throwing a toy for her to chase and fetch, chase and fetch. At 0700 hours exactly, the sound of Jane getting out of bed could be heard above the dog's paws scampering across the floor. She slowly walked out of the room ten minutes later in sweatpants and a bra, holding a blue Boston PD t-shirt in her hands. Most days she was able to fully dress herself, but every now and then Maura would have to help her with the shirt. She didn't like that brief moment when it wasn't quite on but wasn't off either, and instead was grouped around your face and blocking your vision. It felt much too similar to a cloth bag being placed over her head for her liking.

Maura took the shirt from Jane's hands and said, "Arms." Jane put out her hands and allowed Maura to put the sleeves over them, and then raised her arms so that she could pull it down. She had bunched up the material so it would cover Jane's face for as little time as possible as she pulled it down her arms and then over her face, before tugging it down her body. "I like that one," Maura said, smiling at the t-shirt. She headed over into the kitchen and put some bread in the toaster, her mind ticking over with an idea. As she spread butter across the toast and cut the slices in half, she began to think about the familiarity that calms her every morning with her house. A place like that would be good for Jane, but she doubted that her apartment carried that sense of familiarity any more. Then, she cast her mind back to the middle of the night and the one thing that helps sooth Jane back to sleep. They sat down at the table and after a couple of minutes Maura said, "Jane, what do you think about going into the station today?"

On the word "station" Jane looked up from her plate and made eye contact with Maura. With Jane's lack of speech and very minimal facial expression, Maura had somehow learnt to pick up on the expression in her eyes. Even without eye contact she could sometimes just notice when Jane tensed and when she relaxed; she had come to know her and her mannerisms so well that they didn't need words to communicate. "We could go in for a little while, would you like that?" Jane's lips parted ever so slightly but no sound escaped, which Maura knew to take as a good sign. "Okay," she said, "After breakfast I'll quickly walk Jo Friday round a couple of blocks and then we can go."

Maura finished her breakfast before Jane and pulled on her trainers after attaching Jo to a leash. "I'll be back in ten minutes," she called out. She stepped out of the front door and pulled out her phone as she began to walk along the pavement. Within four rings Frost picked up, and Maura didn't waste any time in saying, "Jane's coming in."  
"What?! Are you serious?" a shocked voice came down the phone.  
"Why would I be joking? I'm bringing her in just for a short while; I think the sense of familiarity might help her. We've been in the house for weeks and only leaving to walk around the block – she needs somewhere new."  
"Okay. Is she talking yet?"  
"No, not yet. But I need you to do a favour for me."  
"Sure."  
"Tell everyone to put their guns in their drawers. If you have a board up with a case on it that has any form of torture, rape, or general abuse then take it down. Tell everyone not to overcrowd her – just you and Korsak will be fine. And no loud noises."  
"Sure thing, I'll tell everyone now."  
"Thanks, Frost."

By the time she got back into the apartment Jane had finished eating. She changed her shoes for a pair of pumps and grabbed a similar pair for Jane, and slowly they headed out to the car. Finally the pulled up outside of the station and Maura waited before getting out of the car. "Are you okay?" she asked Jane, but there was no response. She didn't look scared, but her eyes were frantically searching around and taking everything in. After a few minutes she calmed down and Maura got out of the car. Jane undid her own seatbelt and then stepped out onto the pavement, staring up at the building before her. She stood still, unmoving for two minutes just waiting and staring.

Eventually she began to walk forward, and Maura stayed by her side. They walked into the front entrance and automatically headed for the elevator. Jane seemed to be checking out everything she could see as they walked slowly across the floor, but luckily she never looked fearful. The lift took them up to the floor for homicide and the short, sharp 'ding' that sounded just before the doors open made Jane jump, but she didn't flee. The doors slid open revealing her old workspace, and a lot of anxious faces trying to play it cool. Jane stood and stared again, but her feet wouldn't move. The doors tried to shut twice but Maura flew her hand out to stop them both times. Jane took one small step forwards and then stopped. "It's okay, Jane," Maura reassured her.

Jane turned her head and looked directly at Maura, only feeling content when the blonde shone a smile back at her. She was so determined to be independent today – after all this was her workplace. It was the place where she was safe. This was what she was _good _at. But before she could walk any further she felt her hand gravitating towards Maura's for safety. Their fingers intertwined and she held on tight as they proceeded forwards into the room. Frost was the first to approach; he took slow, tentative steps towards them and said, "It's good to see you Rizzoli." Jane looked at him and a tiny smile tugged at the corner of her lips. She knew him. She remembered him. He was safe.

Next, Korsak joined them and said, "Hey Janey, how you doing?" Again, a smile tugged at Jane's lips. She remembered him. He was safe, too. She looked around until her eyes locked on her desk. Was that a safe place? Before she had time to decide, Frankie Jr. came through the elevator doors and called out, "Jane!" Her grip tightened on Maura's hand, but she didn't panic. He approached them and reached out to touch her gently on the arm, but pulled back as he remembered the last time he had touched her. "Ma's coming back tomorrow; I know she'd love to see you up on your feet."  
"That's great!" Maura replied.

They'd been there ten minutes, and Jane started to get anxious. She started to tug slightly on Maura's hand and looked over at the elevator every few seconds. It didn't take long before Maura got the hint and she said, "I think we better get going. Maybe we'll come see you again sometime." A multitude of gracious goodbyes flew their way and they headed back downstairs. By the time they got to the car Maura was doubtful as to whether her hand still had circulation. As they drove home Jane seemed to relax more, and Maura couldn't help but smile to herself. They had gone all the way to the police department and avoided any major catastrophe, and out of all the major cases that Jane had ever solved, Maura had never been prouder of her than she was in this moment.


	7. Chapter 7

**A.N: This is the final chapter of Can You Hear Me Now! Thank you all so much for your support, I know I haven't been the best at updating this story. Hopefully you enjoyed it. I'd love to hear your final reviews for this fic, so please post them below! x**

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"I can't clear her for active duty until she talks! You know this, Maura so stop asking me!" Cavanaugh's voice boomed through the thin walls of his office and rang all the way down to Detective Frost's desk. "She is walking, she is reading, she is thinking independently for herself! Coming back here may be what she needs to encourage her to talk again!" Maura's voice fought back. The whole homicide department sat in silence, listening intently to the not-so-private conversation. Korsak strained his ears when the two finally had the sense to lower their voices.

"You get her talking again, and she can come back. I'm sorry Maura but that's the best I can do. It's a struggle enough convincing the board to keep her job open. We're all rooting for her though."  
"Rooting for her isn't enough," Maura said coldly, and turned on her black heels and walked out the office. She stepped in front of everyone's desks and paused for a moment, waiting for them all to hurriedly pretend to busy themselves with work before continuing down to the elevator. Her hand rose to her forehead as the doors shut and she gently massaged it, taking in some deep breaths in an attempt to calm down.

The rhythmic sound of her heels clipping on the ground as she walked to her car helped Maura focus on the important things on her mind, and not on how angry she felt towards Cavanaugh right now. She didn't know why his answer had surprised her or angered her so much; it was pretty inevitable what the lieutenant was going to say. As she drove through the streets, her anger eventually evolved into determination and she parked her car abruptly outside her house. She pulled out her phone and walked straight into the guesthouse, sighing with relief when her friend answered. "Hello, Doctor Millworth," she began, "I was wondering if you had a free slot today to help me out with a friend of mine?"

Jane looked up curiously from the baseball game she was watching and watched Maura as she nodded and muttered a few non-descript words before saying down the phone, "That's great, thank you." The blonde looked over at Jane and examined her grey sweats and black vest top then instructed, "Get changed, we're going out." Jane gave her an inquisitive stare before eventually standing up and dragging her feet into the bedroom. She pulled on a clean shirt and some jeans, trying not to feel too disheartened like she did every time she saw her work clothes hanging solemnly in her wardrobe.

Just as Maura was in the middle of thinking how smoothly things were going, Jane froze in the doorway and refused to go any further before she was told what was going on. She didn't say anything, but she didn't need too. Maura could tell by the way she was clenching her jaw and slightly raising her left eyebrow that she wasn't amused by the lack of information. "We're going to speak to a colleague of mine," she said plainly, and then the shock on Jane's face made her realise her mistake. "I mean a fellow doctor! Not a pathologist. She's going to help you get back to work."

Jane glared at her best friend dubiously. Getting back to work was exactly what she wanted, but if it meant seeing some psycho-shrink then she'd much rather work from a desk at home. Maura sensed the hesitation and explained, "It's not Jill, the psychiatrist. I promise you – Cavanaugh told me this morning if you make progress with this person then he'll let you back." After a few seconds Jane cautiously stepped outside and walked over to Maura's car, running through the possibilities in her mind as to who this person could be.

It was a long drive spent with Maura's Google mouth filling the silence, until eventually they arrived outside a red brick building with a gold plaque out front. They approached it and Jane managed to make out the words _Dr. Charlotte Millworth PhD, Speech and Language Therapist._ She rolled her eyes and somehow found the willpower to follow Maura up to the front step. After all, if this place could get her back to work then it couldn't be all bad.

The first hour was tedious, but it didn't take long for Dr Millworth to figure out that Jane wasn't about to sit and placidly be talked down to. By the end of the second hour, she had even managed to convince the brunette to come back the next day for another session.

Maura sat in the waiting room flipping through a magazine, not actually reading many words as her mind was so focused on what was happening on the other side of the office door. She practically leapt out of her seat when the door opened, and she greeted Jane with an anxious smile. "Everything's fine," Charlotte reassured her friend before turning back to Jane. "I'll see you tomorrow, Jane."

They walked down to the car and Maura said inquisitively, "So things must have gone well if you're seeing her tomorrow." A nonchalant nod from Jane was enough of a response, and she started the engine before heading home. On the way they picked up some takeout, enjoying the thought of a lazy evening. When they reached the guest house, Jo Friday was barking like mad so Maura put the food on a plate and into the oven to stay warm, despite knowing how Jane hated takeout on a plate. "It's supposed to be eaten from the carton!" she used to moan.

"We won't be long, I promise. We'll just take Jo around the block a couple of times and then come straight back," Maura said, knowing her friend would be complaining internally. They left the house with the little dog on a leash and proceeded to walk down the street. They had only just turned the corner when a car nearby backfired, and Jane's hand flew to Maura's and she dug her nails into her skin. "It's okay, Jane," Maura soothed. "I promise you're okay, it was just a car – see?" Jane didn't move. Her feet were frozen to the spot and her eyes were fixed on where the car was, until Maura took the decision to stand directly in front of her.

"It's me, Jane. I'm here – it's Maura." A sense of recognition flickered across Jane's face, and Maura could have sworn she heard a slight humming noise as if she were trying to form the 'm' sound. The moment passed as quickly as it arrived and eventually they were walking along the road again, Jane's hand gradually releasing her grip. "You're going to beat this," Maura said, subconsciously linking their hands together. "I know you, and you're going to beat the crap out of every single obstacle in your way until you are back behind that desk. I know you're going to do it."

Jane knew that Maura spoke in definite terms about future events almost as rarely as she guessed during an autopsy, so hearing those words from her best friend gave her all the courage that she needed to drag her ass back to Dr Millworth the next day.

_Two months later_

Maura had been back at work for a while now, and she was crouching next to a dead body at a crime scene when her phone began to ring. Unable to reach it as her hands were occupied with a dismembered limb, she let it go to voicemail. "It's peculiar; the incision seems to be almost medically precise but the impression of the weapon is telling me that a blunt blade was used."  
"So a retired surgeon maybe? Couldn't get his hands on a sharp instrument?" Detective Frost suggested.  
"At what point did I presume that the perpetrator was of retirement age; a surgeon; or a male?" Maura asked as her phone began ringing again. She put the severed arm into a small body bag and pulled off her blue gloves, anxious to answer her phone with thoughts of Jane running through her mind. "Dr Isles."  
_"It's Dr Milworth. You better come over here quickly."_

Without a moment's hesitation she hanged up the phone and turned to Frost: "Something's come up. I'll meet you back at the morgue."  
"Look forward to it…" the detective replied unenthusiastically. Maura hurried to her car and pressed the ignition, speeding off as fast as the law would allow until she arrived outside Dr Milworth's office. She jogged up to the door in her beige heels, not entirely sure if she locked the car or not.

Her hand was less than an inch away from the door, poised to knock when it opened in front of her. "Come in, quickly," Charlotte said and ushered Maura inside. Her heart was pounding in her chest and a million thoughts were running through her mind. "Was it a loud noise? She's a lot better with them now but sometimes they still throw her off. Please don't tell me that a man manhandled her because she's been working on that but if it was a complete stranger then-"  
"It's none of that," the speech therapist interrupted, "Just please follow me."

Maura followed her into a room, obediently keeping her mouth shut and was surprised to see Jane sitting in a chair; not cowering in a corner or shouting nondescript noises like when something usually triggered her. She looked determined and forceful at the same time, and Dr Milworth sat down opposite her patient. "I'm sorry to have taken you away from work but you needed to see this."

Maura sat in the spare chair cautiously, curious as to what was so important that she was taken away from a crime scene. "Come on, that's it," Charlotte coaxed, gently resting an encouraging hand on Jane's arm. A faint humming noise resonated from the brunettes mouth and Maura edged forward slightly on her seat, her attention fully captured by Jane. "That's it," Charlotte said again with a smile, and Maura strained her ears to hear what Jane was trying to say.

Through all the determination evident on her face, beneath it was a faint smile and sense of relief when she uttered the word. Maura's eyes filled with tears and a smile broke out on her face; for the first time in months Jane looked completely like herself again as the name slowly slipped out of her mouth.

"Maura…"

THE END


	8. Sidenote

This isn't another chapter - just a quick note about this fanfic.

I have received a few reviews and messages asking me to continue with the story, and I am really tempted. However I am going on a two week holiday in a while and have an awful lot of school work to do over the summer.

I may do a sequel or eventually continue this fic, so not all hope is lost. But for now, consider this fic finished with the possibility of a future revival. Thank you all so much for the amazing response!

Jen x


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